gaffer

See also: Gaffer

English

Etymology 1

From gaff (“hook”) +‎ -er.

  • (cinema): The natural lighting on early film sets was adjusted by opening and closing flaps in the tent cloths, called gaff cloths or gaff flaps.
  • (glass): (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ɡæfɚ/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɡæfə/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -æfə(ɹ)

Noun

gaffer (plural gaffers)

  1. (film) A chief lighting technician for a motion-picture or television production.
  2. A glassblower.
    • 2003, Jennifer Bosveld, Glass Works, page 18:
      The apprentice carries a gather of glass on the blowpipe to the gaffer's bench […]
Derived terms
Translations
glassblower — see glassblower
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 2

Likely a contraction of godfather, but with the vowels influenced by grandfather. Compare French compère, German Gevatter.

Noun

gaffer (plural gaffers)

  1. (colloquial) An old man.
    • 1845, Thomas Cooper, The Purgatory of Suicides, Book the Fourth, Stanza IX:
      If thou return not, Gammer o'er her pail
      Will sing in sorrow, 'neath the brinded cow,
      And Gaffer sigh over his nut-brown ale […]
  2. (UK, informal) The leader of a group or team, such as a boss, foreman, coach, or publican.
    • 2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 117:
      And you're here to tell me what's what. Just like your bloody gaffer promised.
  3. A sailor.
  4. (Canada) The baby in the house.
Synonyms
Translations
baby — see baby

References

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From gaffe +‎ -er.

Pronunciation
  • Audio(file)

Verb

gaffer

  1. to make a gaffe; to mess up; botch up
  2. to gaffer tape

Conjugation
Conjugation of gaffer (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple gaffer
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple gaffant
/ɡa.fɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle gaffé
/ɡa.fe/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses)		 present gaffe
/ɡaf/		 gaffes
/ɡaf/		 gaffe
/ɡaf/		 gaffons
/ɡa.fɔ̃/		 gaffez
/ɡa.fe/		 gaffent
/ɡaf/
imperfect gaffais
/ɡa.fɛ/		 gaffais
/ɡa.fɛ/		 gaffait
/ɡa.fɛ/		 gaffions
/ɡa.fjɔ̃/		 gaffiez
/ɡa.fje/		 gaffaient
/ɡa.fɛ/
past historic2 gaffai
/ɡa.fe/		 gaffas
/ɡa.fa/		 gaffa
/ɡa.fa/		 gaffâmes
/ɡa.fam/		 gaffâtes
/ɡa.fat/		 gaffèrent
/ɡa.fɛʁ/
future gafferai
/ɡa.fʁe/		 gafferas
/ɡa.fʁa/		 gaffera
/ɡa.fʁa/		 gafferons
/ɡa.fʁɔ̃/		 gafferez
/ɡa.fʁe/		 gafferont
/ɡa.fʁɔ̃/
conditional gafferais
/ɡa.fʁɛ/		 gafferais
/ɡa.fʁɛ/		 gafferait
/ɡa.fʁɛ/		 gafferions
/ɡa.fə.ʁjɔ̃/		 gafferiez
/ɡa.fə.ʁje/		 gafferaient
/ɡa.fʁɛ/
(compound
tenses)		 present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses)		 present gaffe
/ɡaf/		 gaffes
/ɡaf/		 gaffe
/ɡaf/		 gaffions
/ɡa.fjɔ̃/		 gaffiez
/ɡa.fje/		 gaffent
/ɡaf/
imperfect2 gaffasse
/ɡa.fas/		 gaffasses
/ɡa.fas/		 gaffât
/ɡa.fa/		 gaffassions
/ɡa.fa.sjɔ̃/		 gaffassiez
/ɡa.fa.sje/		 gaffassent
/ɡa.fas/
(compound
tenses)		 past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — gaffe
/ɡaf/		 — gaffons
/ɡa.fɔ̃/		 gaffez
/ɡa.fe/		 —
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Further reading

Norman

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation
  • Audio (Jersey)(file)

Verb

gaffer

  1. (Jersey) to grasp

Welsh

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈɡafɛr/

Verb

gaffer

  1. Soft mutation of caffer.

Mutation
Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
caffer gaffer nghaffer chaffer
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.
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